Tips

Time management skills are essential skills for effective elite athletes. Athletes who master these techniques routinely are the highest achievers, even those under intense pressure, in all walks of life, from sport to business. Firstly, it is important to identify and concentrate on the things that matter most. This ensures that you achieve the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time available to you.

To start managing your time effectively, you need to set goals

When you know where you're going, you can then figure out what exactly needs to be done, in what order. Without proper goal-setting, you will not make the most of your time and will be faced with conflicting priorities.

Prioritising what needs to be done is especially important

Without it, you may work very hard, but you won’t be achieving the results you desire because what you are working on is not of real importance.

Knowing what to do to minimise the interruptions is very important

Most athletes have a “to-do” list of some sort. The problem with many of these lists is that they are just a collection of things that need to get done. There is no rhyme or reason to the list and, because of this, the work accomplished is just as unstructured. So how do you work on To Do List tasks – top down, bottom up, easiest to hardest? To work efficiently you need to work on the most important, highest value tasks. This way you won’t get caught scrambling to get something critical done as the deadline approaches.

The following tips will assist you as an athlete to study effectively. Start using and practising active study methods right from the start – this way the skills will become automatic, a normal part of your study routine – just like your sports training.

Glossary

Analytic or scientific jobsThese jobs involve working with ideas to investigate or seek solutions to scientific, technical, social or other issues. Activities include observing, analyzing and interpreting results. The ability to develop theories, apply logic and explore ideas in a specialist area of knowledge is important.

BalanceRefers to balance within your life

BudgetA budget is a summary of intended expenditure along with proposals for how to cover it.

Career developmentAthletes’ careers often develop in quite unintentional ways. However, when career development programmes and assistance are planned, their purpose is to help people gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour to manage their life-long, life-wide learning and work in a self-directed way.

Career interestsCareer interests are your preferred work interests, such as working with people, writing stories, designing things or using tools.

Career valuesCareer values are the basis of what you really want out of work and your career. Values are the things that we believe in and which we think are important. Each person has a value system which has been influenced by their background and their philosophy of life.

ConstraintsConstraints are barriers that you will need to overcome to develop and accomplish your plan.

Creative or artistic jobsThese jobs involve working with ideas to creatively express, present or perform them. An appreciation of design, style, form, beauty or related concepts used to develop or interpret an idea is important. Activities include writing, painting, singing, dancing, decorating, designing and performing.

Distance educationEducation that takes place when the instructor and participant are separated by space and/or time. The gap between the two can be bridged through the use of hard copy material or technology - such as audio tapes, videoconferencing, satellite broadcasts and online technology.

EducationEducation encompasses the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill.

EffectiveBeing effective is producing or being capable of producing an intended result or having a noticeable effect.

Employment Employment is the state of being employed or having a job, or the occupation for which you are paid.

EnvironmentThe environment covers the totality of surrounding conditions; the area in which something exists or lives.

ExperienceExperience is the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities.

Guiding principlesGuiding principles are designed to assist in identifying and recognising the best possible outcome.

Helping or advising jobsThese jobs involve working with people to help, inform, teach or treat them. Activities include discussing personal issues, listening to people’s problems and providing advice, instruction, information or treatment to meet their needs.

KnowledgeKnowledge is the possession of information.

Life skillsLife skills are abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

MatrixA matrix is array of quantities or expressions set out by rows and columns.

Mind mapsA mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea.

MotivationMotivation is the internal condition that activates behaviour and gives it direction, and energises and directs goal-oriented behaviour.

Nature or recreation jobsThese jobs involve working with things in the natural world, such as conservation, handling animals, raising crops or livestock, or sport. Activities include growing and caring for living things, or an involvement with sport, leisure or the environment.

NetworkingNetworking is communicating with and within a group; "You have to network if you want to get a good job".

Organisational or clericalThese jobs involve working with data to order, process or retrieve facts and figures, or to develop or administer policies and procedures. Activities include organising, using or updating information (such as files or accounts), developing or following procedures or systems and the planning, budgeting and staffing of an organisation.

Persuading or serviceThese jobs involve working with people to sell to, influence, motivate, negotiate with or serve them. Activities include selling, promoting or providing goods or services, bargaining or presenting a point of view.

Practical or mechanicalThese jobs involve working with things, using the hands or special tools or equipment to make, fix, install or adjust them. Activities include practical and physical tasks, which may require an understanding of how equipment or machinery works.

Priorities Priorities means the status established in order of importance or urgency.

ProactiveActing in advance to deal with an expected difficulty or anticipated issues.

ProcrastinationThe act of procrastinating is putting off, delaying or postponing an action to a later time.

QualificationsQualifications are meeting the proper requirements and having suitable training for a position or task - Certified: holding appropriate documentation and officially on record as qualified to perform a specified function or practise a specified skill.

Re-locationRe-location is the act of moving from one place to another.

ResumeCurriculum Vitae: a summary of your academic and work history.

SkillsA skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined tasks, often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both.

Sports career termination Sports career termination is a transition the athlete goes through when shifting from the mastery stage of their sports career (i.e. a stage where the athlete was able to reach the pinnacle of his/her performances) to the discontinuation stage (i.e. the end of the sports career). In this sense, sports career termination may be defined as the ultimate sports career transition, which leads to new or increased involvement of the individual in family life or a professional occupation.

Sports career transitions Sport career transitions are those changes athletes go through when passing from one stage of their sports career to the next stage. Transitions happen when events occur to bring a change in the assumptions that an individual has about himself/herself and about his/her relationships. Athletes go through many steps or stages in the course of their sporting careers, for instance from initiation in sports (childhood) to development of skills (adolescence). Each stage represents a special challenge for the athlete and tests athletes’ capacity to adapt to the next career phase.

StressStress is the total response to demands and pressures in your life. Causes of stress are called stressors. Stressors can vary from conflict in relationships, being overwhelmed by lots of tasks, poor performance or injury.

SWOTSWOT analysis is a technique for understanding your strengths and weaknesses and for looking at the opportunities and threats you face.

Time managementTime management refers to a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals.

TipsTips are an indication of potential opportunities.

Work experienceWork experience may be paid or unpaid. It may be for a few days, a few weeks or a year. It may be observation, work shadowing, volunteer work, a structured work placement, a cadetship or an internship.

Work satisfiersWork satisfiers are work situations which will satisfy you most.